OPINION: Parade takes a lighter look at life in Bathurst and surrounds

Adam Ryan has won a $500 voucher to go shopping at Harvey Norman after receiving the most votes in the Bathurst’s Best Buddies photographic competition.

The Western Advocate teamed with Century 21 Bathurst Region to run the competition highlighting all that’s great about our region and some terrific photos flooded in of everything from cousins to sisters, animals to teddy bears.

Adam’s winning pic featured a happy looking dog in a Christmas hat.

That thinking is a bit half-baked

PARADE was never a star maths student at school, but even he can see this is a bit strange.

A reader who recently renewed their trailer registration for the year got in touch this week because they were surprised to see that the annual cost for renewal was $65 (makes sense so far), but the cost for a half year was $32 and the cost for a quarter year was $16.

Though you normally get a discount for paying for the whole year rather than paying for part of it, Parade’s reader paid $1 more for doing so and would have been better off paying for two half-yearly registrations or four quarter-year registrations.

”I am not overly concerned about the extra $1 I had to pay to choose the one-year option, but I find it strange that the discount is now given for part-year renewals,” the reader said.

Long and short of light hours

WE’VE almost made it - to the winter solstice, that is.

When the seemingly endless cold months hit, it’s important to have short-term goals that make you feel as if you’re making some progress.

Using that thinking, Parade always likes to get the shortest day of the year out of the way so at least he knows the daylight hours are increasing (if only by a small amount) each day rather than going the other way.

So mark it in the calendar: the winter solstice is next Wednesday.

And as far as Parade is concerned, it’s all downhill to spring and 25 degrees a day from there.